Field Trip
by zoe-and-luna
Summary: This is how Toph and Zuko's trip should have happened.


This is how Toph and Zuko's Excellent Adventure should have happened.

All characters belong to Nick.

Italics are thoughts.

* * *

_Stupid Zuko. Everyone else gets to go on fantastic life-affirming fieldtrips with him and what do I get? "You had a sucky childhood. I get it. Let's find Aang." What a waste of my time._

"Toph, come on you've got to walk faster!"

_I'll show him faster. Hmmm…suddenly the earth opens up beneath his feet and he falls flat on his face, or suddenly a wall just appears in front of him and he slams into it before he even notices it's there…tough choice._

"Aaaahhhhhh…."thud

_I love the sound of jerks hitting the earth after a long fall._

"Zuko, you should hurry up. Aang could be in trouble and you're playing in a hole. What kind of friend are you!"

"Toph, this hole is too deep. I need you to earthbend me out."

_What does he think I am?! Some kind of trained monkeydog that does whatever my master says! _

"No!"

"Come on Toph, this isn't funny. Get me out of here!"

"You know what Zuko. I stuck up for you! Even after you burned my feet, and essentially ruined my eyesight and bending, I stuck up for you! And how do you repay me? By ignoring me!"

"What are you talking about? When have I ignored you?"

"How about five minutes ago when I tried to bond with you and you blew me off?"

"Toph, this really isn't the time for bonding okay? After we find Aang and fight my father and sister, you and I can have a long chat."

"We may not have another chance Zuko. Who's to say we'll both come back after fighting your family. I just wanted…I don't know. I just think we're a lot alike and I guess I just wanted you to realize that."

_Yuck, why am I all mushy when it comes to Zuko? Whenever anyone else is around I feel like the Blind Bandit or the Runaway, but with Zuko, I just feel like Toph. I feel like a little girl, and I don't hate it. And I hate that I don't hate it._

"How are we alike Toph?"

"Well, I think it's obvious that we're both stubborn and we're both really good benders. And don't say you're not that good, because you are. You may not be as good as me, but you're still pretty good, for a firebender. Anyway, I don't know if anyone told you, but I had to runaway from home to join Aang…"

_I told him my whole story. Growing up with people who constantly talk about how weak I was. How helpless. How I really didn't have anyone to turn to but myself (the Blind Bandit) and how when my parents realized what I was capable of, they attempted to put me on lockdown._

"I'm sorry Toph. I didn't know. At least I had my mother and Uncle to turn to. To tell me that I could when my father told me I couldn't. I'm sorry that you didn't have someone like that."

"It's okay. It's not like I knew what I was missing."

"What made you turn off everything they were saying and learn earthbending? Everytime my father shot me down, it just weakened my performance."

"Well, I guess it's because they never really commented on my earthbending. They always said that I was a frail little girl because I was blind, but I wasn't really after I learned earthbending from the badgermoles."

"I know you hear it all the time Toph but you really are tough. And not just in a bending sense, but emotionally. I don't think I could do what you did under those circumstances."

"I don't think so either, but you did alright for yourself Zuko. You're where you're supposed to be and you realized all the mistakes you've made, and that says something. I know your uncle will be really proud of you once he's heard what you've done."

"I don't know. I think I went too far for my uncle. I doubt we'll ever have the relationship that we used to have. Now that I've finally realized all that he has done for me, all that he means to me, and he'd probably rather not talk to me ever again. I guess it's true what they say. You don't know what you've got until it's gone."

"Hey, I may not know your uncle as well as you do, but I know that he loves you and he realizes that you've had a hard time finding your own way. He was probably really hurt by everything that happened in Ba Sing Se, but I'm sure once he hears about what you're doing, he'll be nothing but proud. Your uncle is too old to hold any grudges. You and he will be drinking tea within 10 seconds of reuniting. I'm sure of it."

"Hm…I guess"

"So…"

_What can you say after a conversation like that? What kind of tea do you think he'll serve you? Do you think he'll give you tips on being a good fire lord? I hate awkward silences. Maybe I should get him out of that hole…_

"I'm sorry Toph."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

_Why is he apologizing? What does he have to apologize for? Maybe I should just ignore it and get him out of that hole…_

"Uh, could you stand in the middle of the hole, it's easier to get you out if you're not leaning on the walls."

"Sure."

_Since when do I have to request something like that! I should have bent a rock spike out to hit him in the back and push him away from the wall! Maybe being around Aang has softened me up. I should do something to Sokka next time I see him, get back my edge._

"Thanks for the lift and I really am sorry."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Well, this was supposed to be your life changing field trip, and I feel like you did all the work and changed me and I didn't do anything for you."

"Well, let's just say that you owe me then."

"Alright Toph, I owe you one life changing field trip."

"It better be a good one Sparky, or the next hole will be six feet deep, if you get my meaning."

"Yeah, yeah…let's see if the others have found Aang."

_Of course, Zuko didn't really owe me a life changing field trip. This one was as life changing for me as it was for him, I think. But it was good to have something to use against him. To this day when he starts acting irritable towards me I remind him that he owes me. It usually shuts him up pretty quickly. It's interesting, growing up as an only child who was shielded from all other people, I never thought that as an adult, I'd be friends with the Fire Lord. However, if someone told me that I'd have the Fire Lord wrapped around my finger, well, I don't think I would have argued with them. _

* * *

This is something that I typed really quickly to try to combat writers block on another story I'm working on. It's not meant to be Zoph, I just really think that Toph and Zuko could have had a really cute brother/sister relationship thing, and it was only very briefly explored in Ember Island Players, and then completely squashed in the first part of the finale when Zuko basically told Toph to shove it on their field trip. This is how it should have happened.


End file.
